Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.
Lord Byron
You probably don’t laugh enough.
And, just probably, there could be more humor in your clinic.
Sometimes offices can be downright grim. Stressed insurance staff, doctors working with an emergency case, patients running late… the list goes on and on. You may not notice it from the inside, but your patients do. Have you ever walked into a doctor’s office that seemed less than happy or friendly? How about a dentist’s office? You don’t really want to return to an office that is stressful and tense.
Laughter is good medicine, or rather, good therapy. It is good for patients, employees, and doctors. It helps make the work day go smoother, tasks seem easier, and goals more obtainable. And more fun to achieve.
Even if you are not good at telling jokes or making them up, you can work on it. And that can be funny too! At least for others!!
ACTION STEP
Start each staff meeting, or your morning case management meetings with a joke. Have your staff take turns. (No mean or off-color jokes.)
Telling jokes can help you to take the gravity and stress out of your work. Successful practices, and people, tend to be lighter hearted than those that are worried and very very serious.
Sometimes when you start laughing you can find more things to laugh about. Try it sometime. You can always check out our “Breakroom” for a joke or two. They may be a little corny, but that is funny too.
P.S. April is National Humor Month. Click here to learn more.